Makeup mistakes that should be avoided at all costs

Women love make-up. But when applied incorrectly it can add years to your face. Knowledge is power. Here are a number of beauty blunders to avoid adding untimely and unsightly years to your life.

Mistake: The Foundation Skip

No, this is not a new dance move popular these days, but a real problem for women who want to turn back the clock to a youthful face. It is important to remember that the older you get the less makeup is needed. The more makeup you pack on your face, the older you’ll look. However, you never want to avoid the application of foundation.

Foundation can do wonders for the face. In fact, cosmetology experts argue that the perfect foundation may be a woman’s best friend. Foundation evens out the skin tone, provides a translucent finish and gets rid of the ruddiness places. Any foundation is better than skipping foundation.

Mistake: The Too Natural Look

Even the most beautiful skin needs to even out. Every face has patches of skin that are uneven or out of tone. All facial skin can stand to look a bit more polished. How do you avoid looking too natural?

Find the foundation that best suits your skin tone and is a true match for your face. It’s easy to test out the foundation before you buy it. Just apply a dab on the cheek, near the jawline to see how it matches. If you are in doubt, it is always wise to select the shade that is a tad darker, rather than lighter. The darker foundation will provide a warm tone to your complexion and avoid the ashen look that comes from being too natural.

Mistake: The Clown Look

One of the most frequent mistakes women experience with makeup is not applying the blush correctly. Putting the blush on the apples of your cheeks is a cosmetic no-no.

The round circles caused by applying blush in this manner cause rounds on the cheeks that resemble clowns. This look is not appealing to anyone – even circus enthusiasts. To avoid the dreaded clown round, apply the blush sparingly and in an upward swing across the cheekbone. The center of the eye can be used as a guide for the start point. The sweep pulls the face together and blends the cheeks, giving them a slimming look.

Mistake: The Lip Liner Sinker

Lip liner can make or break your youthful look. Too heavy, too dark or applied too far outside your lips’ natural line will cause feathery lines, wrinkled lips and approximately five years to form on your face.

The only solution for the lips to be kept youthful looking is to create a softened appearance. It’s important to match your liner with the lipstick or, even better, with the natural colour of the lips. A creamy pencil should be used for the best possible results.

This covers the basics. Now you’re ready to start applying makeup in a way that will maintain your youth and add years to your life – rather than take them away.

The Health Local Staff is a team of writers and experts dedicated to bringing you the latest health, nutrition and lifestyle information at www.healthlocal.ca.